A grand opening celebration took place the morning of March 31 to welcome the Hamlin Avenue Apartments in Alsip, a permanent housing development that allows adults with disabilities to live independently.
This is the fourth Sertoma Star Services housing unit project for the south and southwest suburbs. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony, along with Palos Heights Mayor Robert Straz, who also serves as president of the board of directors.
“Every resident of Cook County deserves the opportunity to live with dignity, independence, and connection to their community,” Preckwinkle said. “By investing more than $1.7 million in developments like Hamlin Avenue Apartments, we are expanding supportive housing and ensuring that people with disabilities have access to the resources they need not just to live, but to thrive.”
Preckwinkle said projects like these are not only a benefit to those with special needs but can serve as a catalyst to draw new businesses to the community. She once recalled a public official from her native Minnesota who told her that, “we all do better when we all do better.”
The Hamlin Avenue Apartments, 12000 S. Hamlin Ave., is a two-story building that features 25 units, and includes 20 one-bedroom apartments and five two-bedroom apartments. The structure is designed to provide affordable, supportive housing for not only adults with disabilities, but those living with mental illness and for veterans as well.
Residents will have access to services including social support and counseling, job training and employment assistance, and assistance with daily living activities such as grocery shopping and bill management. Sertoma Star Services will provide that assistance.
Support for the development was provided by the Illinois Housing Development Authority, Cook County Development of Planning and Development, and the Housing Authority of Cook County.
“This project gives residents the opportunity to live independently while staying connected to services and the community,” Straz said. “It’s a strong example of what’s possible when local and state partners work together.”
Also taking part in the celebration were Alsip Mayor John Ryan, state Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18th), state Rep. Mary Gill (D-35th), Kathy Berardelli, president and CEO of Sertoma Star Services; and Cook County Commissioner Dr. Kisha McCaskill (D-5th).
Sertoma Star Services also includes buildings in Flossmoor, Homewood, and Orland Park. The agency’s mission is to empower individuals with disabilities and those with mental illness to achieve personal success by providing choices and opportunities.
The Hamlin Avenue Apartments each has its own kitchen, bathroom, and living space. They also offer a community outdoor patio area and a laundry room unit on the first floor. Sertoma Star Services officials note that the Alsip location is within walking distance of stores, a pharmacy, restaurants, parks, recreation facilities, public transportation, and a library.
“This is our answer to homelessness in the Southland,” McCaskill said.
Cunningham, who is retiring as state senator, said this has been a collective effort and credits Ryan, Cook County, Sertoma, and the board of directors for making this facility become a reality.
“I also want to thank the residents in the community who have come together and welcomed this collaborative effort,” Cunningham added.
Ryan said he is pleased with the project and the fact that this satisfies a necessary need.
“I had to educate myself on what permanent sustainable housing is,” Ryan said. “This is an investment in public housing and also in the community. And I want to say this is a well built building, a very solid structure.”
Brush Hill Development led the project with the assistance of WJW Architects. The Blackwood Group and Crane Construction Company were the general contractors. The project was completed within two years.
Berardelli said that affordable permanent housing is needed in the south and southwest suburbs.
“More than 1,000 applications were submitted within the first 48 hours after the Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC) wait list opened,” Berardelli said. “They need our support.”